Tool for facilitating the removal of spring clips from sprocket chains and the like



Dec. 4, 1951 P. J. IMSE 2,577,193

TOOL FOR FACILITATING THE REMOVAL OF SPRING CLIPS FROM SPROCKET CHAINS AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 10, 1950 'ilggmm-mmmu v INVENTOR. Philip Jlmse,

ATTORZEY Patented Dec. 4, 1951 .TOOL FOR FACILITATINGTHEREMOVAILOF.

' "SPRING; CLIPS EROMfSPRO'CKET'J S'."

- AND THETIiIK'E.

BhilipJ Imse; Westfield, Massa assignoritozchain Belt==Company; Milwaukee,- Wis -abomination.

of -Wisconsin:

Application February 10, 195i); Serial :No; 143,532

spams. sa -41) Theninvention has for-its principal object the provision of a simple,- inexpensiveand eflicient implement for facilitating the disengagement and removal of a loop type of resilient retai-ning member such as is-frequently employed inconjunction with-certain forms of sprocket chains to maintain some orall ofthe -link's thereof in assembled relation. I

These chains comprise alternate-roller -links and pin links," 'the former-of which are as sembled units composed of I apair of "side bars rigidly held inlatera1lyspaced relation by apair .of longitudinally. spaced transversely extending sleeves or bushings, the'ends of-which are pressfitted-or otherwise rigidly-secured inapertures in the end portions-of theflside-barsl Usually anti-friction. rolls are journalled upon the bushings for engagement :with the sprocket teeth, although in some instances theserolls are omitted. The pin links comprise a pair of side bars, one' of which has. a pair of; longitudinally spaced chain: pins-rigidly secured. .to andzextending laterally from the. end portions thereof, for; "insertion into the bushings. of the adjacent roller links, whereby to provide the articulating. 'joints of the chain.- After. such insertion'g-theseconcLside.bar

of the pin link is positioned upon the projecting ends of the pins and-retainedin position thereon in variousways. 1

In some instances this retention is accomplished by a cotter passed .through atransverse hole in the projecting end of .each chain pinjust outside the detachable side bar. In othercases the projecting end of. eachchainpin isprovided with a circumferential groove-just outside the detachable side bar and. a resilient-retaining member of the split elongated-loop type shown, in U. .S. PatentNo. 617,716.120 Homer M. Caldwell -and commonly referred to asa spring clip-- is positioned aboutthe pins of .each pinlink-and seated .in the said grooves thereof. Sometimes only one :or a few" of thepin links areprovided with these spring clips, theends. of the pins of the remaining links being peenedor--riveted over at assembly to provide permanent' attachment of the affected pin and rollerlinks...

As above indicated, theipresent inventionis concerned with the removal of, spring; clips; of the type just mentioned. Heretofore such removal hascommonly been effected byintroducing the end of a screwdriver blade or similar fiat implement between the spaced longitudinal members of the clip, at right angles to the face of the side bar and adjacent. the .pin encircled by the split end .of the clip, and by turning the Y 2. bladeraboutlits axisto bringthe lateral-edges thereof into. engagement with the longitudinal members of'the clip, to spread the split end portionof the clip: until it is disengaged from the pin'groove; then, while holdingthe clipso spread, towork. such-end portion outwardly from the side bar to a position beyond the end .of the-pin. This latter operation maybe accomplished by means' of the fingers or with theaid-of a knife blade or like-thin instrument forced in between the clip and the face of the side bar, and used as a pry.

However; since the clips are relatively thinin the'smaller sizes 'only-afew'hundredths of an inch in thickness-muchdifiiculty' is experienced inkeepingth'e screwdriver blade or similar spreading implement in operative positionand frequently it will slipoutof place before-the desired spreadingv action and removal can be accomplished Even after the clip is spread it is awkward and difiicult to maintain it in such condition while working it outwardly beyond the pinend. 1

Thev present invention provides a tool which not: only: tends to: maintain itself in operative position: during the spreading action; butalso automatically moves the split end portion of the clip outwardly-from the side bar and beyond the end of the-chainpin as the spreading is completed;

' One form of "the tool is illustratedin the accompanying drawing-forming a part of this speci- 'fication, in: which like reference charactersde- .signate like parts in all theviews, and in which:

Figure 1 .is: a perspectiveview of the tool;

Fig. v2 is an enlarged plan viewof the blade portion thereof:

Fig; 3 is an enlarged side elevational view;

Fig; 4 is :an end view, as seen-from the left of Fig.2; 7

Fig.5 isa side elevational view of a chain pin link. equippedwith a spring clip of the type-indicated, and'showing an initial position of the tool ibl'adevpreparatory to spreading and removing such clip;

F-igurefiiis a cross sectional view; on the plane indicated by the line .66'in Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Ei'g. 7.is acview similartto: Fig. 5, showing the positions of :the parts as the'spreading is completed; and

Fig. 8 isan end view-as seen from the right of Fig. '7, illustrating the complete disengagement of the'asplitend .of the clip from the chain pin.-

Referring to the drawing in greater detail, as

Figs. -8 inclusive.

.the adjacent roller links. of the chain pins are circumferentially grooved as at 24 for the reception of the semi-circular members of the spring clips upon which the.

tool is to be used, and which Portion is formed with sides l3 which converge rearwardly" from the blade end. Such end 'is' arcuately' or otherwise cut away at I4 to provide a pair of transversely spaced prongs or horns l5 which taper to sharp edges I6 and are bent or curved in opposite directions, as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The outer tips I! of these horns lie laterally outward of the planes of the convergent side faces l3 of the blade, as clearly indicated in Fig. 2, thereby facilitating entry of the horns between 'the contacting faces of the clip members 21. and the chain side bar 2|, as. shown in Fig. 6.

The manner of using the tool is illustrated in In these figures 26 designates theside bars of a pair of adjacent roller links, and 2'] the removable side bar of afpin link connecting the said roller links. ,The pin apertures of said removable pin link side bar slidably fit upon the end portions of the pair of chain pins 22 which are rigidly carried by the other side bar of the pin link (not shown), which. pins pass through and are journalled in the bushings 23 of The said end portions end portions of a resilient elongated-loop type retaining memberqor spring clip 25, ;one of which semi-circular portions is severed at 26 so that the clip may be spread as indicated in Fig. 7.

The blade 12, which asv above mentioned .is

wider than the normal distance between the longitudinal members 21 of the clip 25, .is introduced between such members in an inclined position, as

shown in Fig. 5, with the horns l5 pressed against the outer face orthe side bar v2i, whereupon by turning the blade in a clockwisesdirectio'n the sharp corners Or tips I! ,of the, horns will be wedged in between'the inner faces of the clip members 21 and the outer face of the said side bar. This engagement of the horn tips behind the clip not only prevents the blade fromslipping out of position but also slightly bows the clip members 2'! outwardly away from'the side bar and places the hook portions 28 of the severed end of the clip under tension which tends to move such portions away from the side bar. Such action of course will be prevented so long as thehook portions are seated inthe groove 26 of the chain pin, but as turning of the blade continues the members 2'! of the clip will be spread apart and the hooks withdrawn from the said groove. As the blade l2 reaches substantially the position shown in Fig. '7 the hookportions28 of the clip will clear the flange defining the outward side of the groove 24, whereupon the above described tension provided by the wedging action of the horns l5, during turning of the blade will move the split end portion of the clip out,- wardly past the end of the chain pin 22, as indicated in Fig. 8, with the opposed edge faces of the longitudinal clip members 21 riding down the inclined side faces I3 of the tool blade- The resilience of the clip tending to restore it to the Fig. 5 position causes the said clip'members 21 4 with the divergence of the latter prevents the clip from springing back against the side bar 2 I. If now the tool be bodily moved toward the left, as viewed in Fig. '7, the divergent longitudinal members 27 of the clip may be easily disengaged from the left hand chain pin'22 and the clip thus completely removed from thechain.

V the clip members 2! as shown in Fig. 5, if an upwardpressurebe exerted upon the tool during turning of the blade toward the Fig. 7 position,

the effect will be to lift the upper clip member 21 as ,the spreading is efiected, and disengage its hook 28 from the pin groove 2 4 while leaving the .lower clip member in the Fig. 5 position, with its hook seated in said-groove. When the upper hook 28 has been thus cleared from the groove, it .will move outwardly from the sidebar 2| to be.- yond the end of the pin, 22, riding on the upper inclined surface I3 of the blade, as above de scribed, Theupward pressure on the tool is now reversed to a downward pressure, which will disengage the lower hook 28 from the pin groove and cause it to move outwardly along thelower inclined surface of the blade; whereupon leftward bodily movement of the tool will disengage the c1ip 25 from the other chain pin, as before. Obviously, thissmode of useoccasions less spreading of the. clip members 21 than the first described -method; and itmay beaccomplished with less angular movement of the blade from the Fig. 5 position. 7

The blade [2 preferably is hardened or tempered to prevent distortion of the horns l5 and to enhance :the wearing properties; and while the implementis here shown and described as being formed from round bar stock, obviously it might be stamped from flat plate or other stock if desired. What is claimed is:' I

1. A tool for facilitating the removal of spring 'clip's of the split elongated-loop type from-the pins' of -sprocket chains and the like, said tool comp risinga flat-blade of awidth greater than the distance between the spaced longitudinal members of the clips, said-blade terminating in a pair of transversely'spaced horns adapted to be-introduced between and engage said spaced longitudinal clip members, and upon partial rotation of the blade about its longitudinal axis to spread said members farther apart, said blade also having rearwardly convergent side faces extending from't he horns for receiving and holding said clip membersspaced from the side of the chain upon disengagement of such members from --a'chain pin. I

2. A tool for facilitating the removal of spring clipsof the split elongated-loop type from the :pins of sprocket chains and the like, whichpins have' rec'esses' 'normally seating portions of said clips, said tool comprising a flat blade of a' idth greater than the distance between the spaced longitudinal members of the clips, said blade terminating in a pair of transversely spaced horns/which are bent out of the planes of the flat faces or theblade', one in one direction and to firmly grip the blad face l3, d coupled the other in the opposite directionan'd the outer tips of said horns lying laterally outward of the planes of the side faces of the blade, whereby upon introduction between said spaced longitudinal members of the clips and partial rotation of the blade said horns will engage behind said clip members to prevent unintentional displacement of the tool, and concomitantly spread said clip members farther apart to disengage them from said pin recesses.

3. A tool for facilitating the removal of spring clips of the split elongated-loop type from circumferentially grooved ins of sprocket chains, said tool comprising a flat blade of a width greater than the normal distance between the spaced longitudinal members of the clips, said blade terminating in a pair of transversely spaced horns of tapering thickness which are curved out of the planes of the flat faces of the blade, one in one direction and the other in the opposite direction, whereby upon introduction between said spaced longitudinal clip members and partial rotation of the blade about its longitudinal axis said tapering horns will wedge between said clip members and the adjacent chain side bar to prevent unintentional displacement of the tool, and concomitantly spread said longitudinal clip members farther apart to disengage them from said pin grooves, said blade also having side faces converging away from said horns for engagement by and retention of said clip members in spaced relation to the side of the chain upon disengagement of the members from the pin.

PHILIP J. IMSE.

Name Date Barnes Oct. 22, 1901 Number 

